Combination folding plumb, rule, and level.



N0. 741L861. L

, H. F. WHITE. L COMBINATION FOLDING PLUMB, RULE, AND LEVEL.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1903. no MODEL.

PATENTED OUT. 20, 1903 Patented October 20, 1903.

FFlCEt HUGH FRANCIS WHITE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

COMBINATION FOLDING PLUMB, RULE, AND LEVEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,861, dated October 20, 1903.

, Application filed March 25, 1903. Serial No. 149,417. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH FRANCIS WHITE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in a Oombina tion Folding Plumb, Rule, and Level, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tool that is particularly adapted for the use of masons in laying masonry. Heretofore they have been guided in work of this kind by means of a plumb and level, two large and clumsy instruments, and they have also used a third instrument-namely, a rule. The object of my invention is to consolidate these three in one which may be folded into a compact mass when not in use and so it may be readily stored or transported.

For a more particular description of my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to the View shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the instrument in its folded condition. Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed views showing a hinge and its neighboring parts.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

My improved plumbcomprises three parts 1, 2, and 3, the parts 1 and 3 being hinged on opposite sides and at each end of the part 2 by means of hinges 5. These hinges are provided with straight leaves 6 and 7, which are secured to the respective parts of the plumb by means of screws8 and 9. The ends of the parts 1 and 2 are provided with angle-plates which are secured by means of screws 12 and 13 and which are provided with screw-threaded openings 14, which are engaged by screws 15, one only of which is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, as these parts are identical at both hinges. The screws 15 rest in passages 16 in the parts 3 and 2, the said passages 16 extending from V openings 17, by means of which access may readily be had to the screws 15, so that they may be turned to be caused to engage or disengage the threads in the openings 14. A winged head 17 enables the screw 15 to be readily turned. The part 1 is provided with an opening 18 with a pointed top 19, the apex of which is midway between the parallel edges of the instrument and below a perforation in the upper portion of part 3, so that whenaplumb-bob 21 is hung in the opening 18 from the perforation and the string 21 passes over the point 19 the said string 21 will remain parallel to the edges of the plumb. About the center of one edge of the part 2 a spirit-level 22 is secured in the usual way, and on the opposite edge of part' 3 and extending the length of the part a scale 23 is provided, which may be divided into either the metric or English system, as may be desired.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, the instrument is opened up and the screws 15 are turned until they engage the threaded openings 14 and firmly hold the parts together. The instrument may then be used either as a rule or as a level. If it is to be used as a plumb, the string 21. and bob 21 must be put in place. When the instrument is to be stored, the screws 15 are disengaged from the openings 14 and the parts folded, as shown in Fig. 3.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangementashereindescribedandillustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variation and modification as properly fall within the scope of my-invention and the terms of the following claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An instrument of the character described, comprising three sections of which the outer two are hinged to fold in opposite directions on the middle section, each of the three sections being provided with an opening extending therethrough, a screw working longitudinally through one of the outer sections into spirit-level secured in one of said sections,

the middle section and provided in the open.- one of the sections also constituting a rule.

ing of said outer section with a nut by which In testimony whereof I have signed my it may be manipulated, a similar screw workname in the presence of the subscribing Wit- 5 ing through the middle section into the other nesses.

outer section and provided in the opening of the middle section with a manipulating-nut,

a plumb-bob arranged to be suspended from Witnesses:

the first-named outer section and to hang in J. CLARK RYBAS,

[O the opening of the other outer section, and a J. M. HOCTOR.

HUGH FRANCIS WHITE. 

